Regular meetings provide structure and rhythm to the work of the team. As a leader, they help me maintain clarity on priorities, monitor progress, and identify issues early. For the team, they create opportunities for alignment, collaboration, and growth.

Well-established meetings reduce uncertainty and build trust. They ensure information flows consistently, decisions get made efficiently, and everyone stays connected to our broader mission. They also create dedicated spaces for different needs from operational updates to innovation sharing and personal development.

Here are the meetings I like to setup to balance team cohesion with individual growth while respecting everyone's time and focus.

Team

Weekly Status

When: Mondays, 45 minutes
Who: Leads/Managers
Purpose: Align on priorities, review progress against goals, address blockers, and coordinate cross-team dependencies.

Focus Fridays

When: Fridays, All day
Who: All team members
Purpose: Protected time for deep work with no scheduled meetings, allowing uninterrupted focus on complex tasks and creative problem-solving. Open to exploring new ideas and technologies or working on side projects. Once a month, we have a sharing session where team members can show off what they've been working on.

Weekly Tech Demo Rotation

When: Weekly, 1 hour
Who: All team members
Purpose: Showcase new features, technical solutions, and innovations, fostering knowledge sharing and cross-pollination of ideas between teams.

Biweekly Lunch and Learn

When: Every other Wednesday, 1 hour
Who: All team members
Purpose: Educational sessions where team members share expertise or bring in external speakers to expand collective knowledge.

Monthly All-Hands

When: First Wednesday of the Month, 45 minutes (replaces Lunch and Learn when the dates coincide) Who: All team members
Purpose: Share company updates, celebrate achievements, address concerns, and maintain alignment on vision and goals.

Individual

Office Hours

When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 30-minute slots over 2 hours
Who: By sign-up, as needed
Purpose: Provide accessible support for specific questions or challenges without scheduling formal meetings.

Biweekly 1-on-1 Sessions

When: Varies, 45 minutes
Who: Individual team members with their manager
Purpose: Check in on well-being, provide feedback, discuss growth opportunities, and address personal concerns.

Quarterly Skip Level 1-on-1

When: Quarterly, 45 minutes
Who: Individual team members with their manager's manager
Purpose: Focus on long-term career development, performance review, and provide an additional channel for feedback.